Role of epicuticular waxes in the susceptibility of cotton leaf curl virus (CLCuV)

Cotton leaf curl virus (CLCuV) is the causal agent of the damaging disease of cotton that is caused by number of begomaviruses and vectored by silver leaf whitefly. In the present study, an attempt was made by infecting Gossypium arboreum variety 786, its wax mutant GaWM3 along with Gossypium hirsutum MNH-93 with viruliferous whiteflies. The presence of symptoms on leaves and amplification by PCR for virus in G. hirsutum MNH-93 and wax mutant GaWM3 but not in G. arboreum variety 786 clearly determined the presence of virus in G. hirsutum MNH-93 and wax mutant GaWM3 but not in G. arboreum variety 786. The results indicate that wax may act as physical barrier and provide hindrance in transfer of virus by whitefly.